RIP Hoopoe

Sad news this afternoon as the Hoopoe at Conwy RSPB reserve was unfortunately taken by a Peregrine :-(

Tonight at Bangor Birdgroup...

Tonight it is the joint talk with the NW Wildlife trust. Sabine Nouvet, A Conservation Ecologist for the National Trust will be talking about Shepherding in the Uplands. Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30 start, all welcome.

Cemaes Bay Birds

This is one of the rather showy Kingfishers that have been in the Wooded Valley along the River Wygyr over the last few weeks. From the beach car park walk under the road into the Valley and it favours the area of river on the right just as it passes under the trees. I also had a Yellow Browed Warbler on the 24th October in the Valley and Martin had a Firecrest here on the 22nd and nearby I had a Jack Snipe on the 21st October on Parys Mountain.

North Wales Birding - Tue 25th Oct

I headed up into Snowdonia yesterday for a bit of a change. After a quiet drive up the Nant Francon Valley a quick coffee stop produced a male Ring Ouzel, Dipper, Grey Wag and a noticeable passage of winter thrushes over the pass near the Youth Hostel. The Ugly house feeders are full and Nuthatches and Treecreepers were around in this lovely setting with glorious Autumnal colours as a backdrop. I carried on to Clocaenog where there are good numbers of Crossbills at Bod Petrael and the Car Park at the base of Craig Bran Banog. There was also brief sightings of Goshawks flying low over the plantations as we drove around the forest. The Rowan and Hawthorn bushes are bursting with berries and large numbers of Fieldfares, Redwings and Starlings were making quick work of the berries. One roadside was fringed with large numbers of Fly Agaric toadstools. As we headed back, news of a Hoopoe at Conwy dictated that we would be going back to Anglesey via the RSPB reserve where this somewhat flighty Hoopoe showed very well.

RSPB Conwy sightings board

A hoopoe, a first for the reserve, has been present since lunchtime today. Magpies and crows have been giving it a bit of a hard time, so it has been mobile, and having initially been around the Coffee Shop, by late afternoon it was on the islands in front of the Carneddau Hide. Great find by William Boyce, visiting from Wirral.

Our great white egrets are still here, with five seen this week (is the sixth still somewhere nearby too?) and a couple of garganeys. But Winter comes in the form of roosting redwings and a small (1000-bird) murmuration of starlings. A couple of pintails are looking elegant on the Deep Lagoon, while three whooper swans were enjoyed by visitors here on Saturday (22nd).
For more sightings, and news of current management work, please read the reserve blog.

The North West in Bangor

Chris Galvin is coming over to Bangor Birdgroup tomorrow to give us a talk on the North West Year. Please come along to see what Avian delights are on offer in our neighbouring region. Door open at 7 for a 7.30 kick off. Everybody welcome.

Pallas's Warbler in Holyhead Breakwater Country Park

Ken found one of these Seven striped Sprites in HHBWCP today plus three Ring Ouzels and an influx of Blackcaps.